Price: $12,500.00
SKU: 102431
ARTIST: George Willdey
MEDIUM: Copper plate engraving
DATE: Circa 1715.
EDITION SIZE: Image size 37 x 24 1/2" (93.9 x 62 cm)
DESCRIPTION: A rare and unusual map of North America by George Willdey.<br><br> The cartography of this map comes from several sources, De L'Isle's maps Carte Du Canada ou de la Nouvelle France, and Carte Du Mexique et de la Floride des Terres Angloise of 1703, two of the more influential maps of the era. And John Senex's North America, Corrected from the observations communicated to the Royal Society at London and the Royal Academy at Paris, 1710.<br><br> The maker of this map, George Willdey, was an enthusiastic self-promoter. He was one of the first in England to use newspapers for promotion and marketing, even if his notices were prone to hyperbole and self-aggrandizement. Born in 1676, he apprenticed to John Yarwell and Ralph Sterrop at the Spectaclemakers' Company in 1695. In 1707 he set up his own business selling a multitude of products. From optical instruments, spectacles, toys, china, glass, silver, snuff boxes, maps, prints etc. In fact, on this map, just below the cartouche is a illustrative advertisement for his wears. "Maps, Globes Spectacles Reading Glasses with those and many other useful Curiosities and made and sold at the Great Toy Shop next ye Dogg Tavern in Ludgate Street."<br><br> From about 1709, Willdey gradually began to offer maps, in association with Charles Price sr. and John Senex, who were working on an atlas of two-sheet maps. Price and Senex’s partnership ended in 1710; Senex went off on his own, while Price was employed by Willdey to continue the project, adding new plates to those he retained when the partnership ended. <br><br> Price and Willdey went their separate ways in 1713. At first, Willdey tried to offload the stock of maps at discounted prices, but over the next few years commissioned sufficient plates to produce an atlas, several of these supplied by the young Emanuel Bowen. In 1721, Willdey published a large six-sheet wall map of the world, which itself, is a remarkable and quite beautiful map. Willdey died in 1737, and his son Thomas continued the business until he died in 1748. He was content to exploit his father's material, but did purchase the printing plates for Henry Popple's important wall map of North America. Following Willdey's death, the printing plates passed to Thomas Jefferys, while others were reprinted by Cluer Dicey and his heir Richard Marshall, while the "toy-shop" was continued by his shop manager Susannah Passavant. <br><br> The cartouche is shown engraved upon stone monument, itself surrounded by a semi-clothed Native maiden, holding aloft in one hand an arrow and a bow in the other. Surrounding her are creatures found in the New World, snakes, alligators, etc. Above the cartouche is a medallion portrait of King George supported by two cherubs and flanked by goddess Mercury holding a caduceus and an archangel blowing a trumpet, all reclining on clouds. <br><br> Engraved by H. Terasson, a Draughtsman and engraver based in London.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
CONDITION: Overall in good condition. At one time this was folded into a binding. Alone two of the upper folds there is some small areas of paper and image loss. Professionally conserved. Original outline color.
REFERENCE: McLaughlin "California as an Island" #199
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